Endurance
by Panda4lisa
Summary: Faced with a terrible situation Naruto must hold on to life. Will Sakura be enough to keep him in this world? Naru/Saku One-shot


NaruSaku-Endurance

Naruto's eyes widened as he bit down on the piece of wood between his teeth. His knees shook as his back arched off the bed in pain. His face had grown sweaty, as his body writhed in agony. Sakura had been holding his hand for the last hour crying as she ran her other hand through his hair. Her part was simple she needed him to stay conscious for the procedure. Her heart hurt, as his hollow eyes had not left hers for the past hour. Slowly his trembling body fell back to the bed. Naruto lay there numb with the horrible feeling throughout his body. Tsunade looked down at the yellow haired man their eyes met. Tsunade had been afraid he would hate them for doing this to him. "Naruto" she said softly "were almost done, just endure a little longer." Tsunade hated lying to him, she knew full well they were just barely reaching half way.

-----FlashBack-----

Naruto had been out on a simple mission of recovering a scroll from bandits and a few rouge ninjas. He attacked head on and then all hell broke loose. A Genjutsu user had very unwisely ensnared him in an illusion of Sakura being killed by the men in the camp. The man had read his thoughts instantly know she was the one who could make his life shatter. He was right, what he didn't count on was the rage of the fox consuming the boy and laying waste to the entire Forrest. Naruto had gone all out almost forming 9 tails instantly. Luckily Yamoto had been there to seal him even though he was forced to use a number of the paper seals with his jutsu to fully suppress his rage. However all of the suppression combined had split his chakra in two, in his body and it was now a war for his soul. When Tsunade had watched Yamoto run into the office carrying his body her heart froze after he explained what happened she knew what it was.

Tsunade knew that she was about to put the boy she loved like a son through hell. Easily the worst pain he would ever feel. She had called for Sakura she would need her skill and her loving presence if Naruto had a shot at making it out of this. She was going to have to manually reconnect the chakra inside his body and one by one put it back into his receiver points. Reattaching one point was excruciating, she had seen many grown battle hardened Anbu break down and sob like children during the procedure. She looked down in guilt knowing she had to connect all 64…

Tsunade quickly set up everything and when Sakura arrived she awoke a sickly looking Naruto. Naruto saw Sakura and sighed in relief, seeing her alive had made him look a lot better Tsunade noticed the pain in his eyes had decreased tremendously. Tsunade took Sakura aside and quickly filled her in on what had happened and what they must do to save him. "He is going to need you now more than anytime before" her master had said to her. " You have to keep him conscious no matter what," Tsunade said sternly. "If he slips into sleep once he wont wake up again Sakura." Sakura was shocked at her masters words but she slowly nodded her head yes. Sakura lowered her head in determination "ok Naruto now its time for me to save you!"

Sakura sat down next to Naruto, "Hey Naruto…" Naruto looked up at her and smiled. "S..Sakura" he gasped out pain filling his voice as he fought to keep control of his body. "I will be looking over you Naruto I need you to stay with me ok?" Naruto's eyes focused slightly "I will never leave you Sakura-Chan." Naruto said with the same fake smile hiding his anguish. Tsunade put a bit in between his teeth as she explained the procedure. "Bite down on that Naruto… It helps" Tsunade stated before placing her hands on his chest. Instantly she molded his chakra back together, now the hard part she thought. She looked down at him "are you ready?" Naruto nodded. Tsunade mentally prepared herself to hurt her would be son more than anyone before. Why do I have to do this? She asked herself, no now wasn't the time to second-guess I have to save him.

Tsunade pressed two fingers into him focusing so she could reconnect the point as fast as possible. Naruto seemed to lunge his chest out from the bed biting down hard he suppressed a scream. Sakura looked at him twisting in agony and she quickly grabbed his hand. Naruto felt her hand and turned his agonized gaze her way. His whole body was convulsing. He looked at her with pleading eyes. Sakura had never wished for something as much as she wished she could take his pain away right now. After nearly a minute he fell back down on the bed. Naruto looked like he had been through hell and back. "One down" Tsunade said fighting back her tears.

----End of FlashBack----

Tsunade couldn't help but be impressed at the man lying on the bed. "Only four more Naruto" she said crying. His jaw was locked, his eyes were almost lifeless, but he never once screamed. He had trashed, writhed, groaned, called out to Sakura, even his dead master Jiraiya. However he never screamed in his pain, he would not allow himself the luxury of shedding tears. Sakura had stopped holding his hand after watching the first 35 connections had pulled his head into her chest and held on to him protectively. Sakura wanted him to voice his pain to share it with her, but he refused. Naruto lied there barley functional after 60 connections. Sakura leaned down and whispered words of encouragement to him. "You're so close, you can do it, your so brave Naruto, don't give up your almost there."

Naruto was as ragged out as a man could be. Stubbornly he held on to life, like a fool with an iron grip he refused to yield. He listened to Sakura, he felt her heart beat. Her words, her touch, and her breath on his face were his anchor. As long as she was with him Naruto knew he was invincible, bring on the pain he thought for her I will gladly endure it all. "Naruto…" Sakura whispered to him, "let it out its ok." Naruto groaned as he spoke. "Are you kidding me" he stopped as he coughed up blood. "This pain is nothing Sakura-Chan." He tried to grin at her but all he could manage was an odd looking smirk. "I thought…" He was interrupted as once again he coughed up blood. "I thought I lost you. This doesn't even fucking compare to that."

Tsunade once again pushed her hands down. Naruto lurched forward his bit long since out of his mouth for he no longer had the strength to bite down. His body was twisting as Sakura pulled him close just wanting to be with him. She whispered in his ear while hugging him tight. Naruto gasped in pain as his whole body shook. Sakura was freely crying. She felt a hand on her face and looked down to see her half dead best friend wiping away her tears the best he could. "Please Sakura-Chan" he said panting and tears in his eyes "that is something I can not bear." The sincerity in her voice startled her. Naruto the man who could blow off being stabbed, or beaten, the man who was going through hell right now and not shed a tear. Started crying because she was upset? Sakura had never known how deeply he cared for her. Sakura then realized her feelings had changed. Looking back it had been a while ago. I love Naruto? She though puzzled, looking down at her arms wrapped around him so tight and his head resting gently against her breasts. I guess I just didn't want myself to see it. Her eyes cheered as she thought of her new revelation of the heart. Life with Naruto would be far more than enough for her she decided. His strong arms and loving, unrelenting attitude were so enticing. His passion for her, and his iron will to protect and shield her from harm. The feelings that she took for granted for so long she would now return to the best of her ability.

Tsunade looked down at Naruto his body was shaking from the pain and fatigue. Tsunade didn't know if he could make it through the last two points. "Naruto there are just two more" she said gently. The broken battered ninja looked at her as though he would die then and there, but he nodded and braced himself. A minute later Naruto was one connection away from able to be healed normally. He would survive. Naruto however knew his body and honestly thought the last point would kill him. Naruto stopped Tsunade with a hand. "I…I am not" He sat up again convulsing in pain and coughing up blood onto his chest. "I'm not sure ill make it through one more." Naruto finished with a weak smile. "Naruto-Kun" Sakura whispered to him. "I need you to make it through this for me." Naruto looked into her loving green eyes "I promise Sakura-Chan" was Naruto's response. Sakura looked down at him and smiled.

Tsunade placed her hands on his last point the most dangerous she though his heart. She looked at the corpse of a man, and he weakly nodded to her. Naruto felt like he was being pushed off the edge of pain as blood came out his mouth in a hard heave. Sakura was clutching him tightly thinking one thought over and over 'Don't die Naruto-Kun.' Naruto had reached his limit 10 points ago and finally his broken body betrayed his iron will. His mind still ragged in his head, I promised Sakura he screamed at himself. "I will not leave her!" He screamed at the darkness surrounding him. "That is my way of the Ninja!"

Sakura was weeping bitterly on his chest as Tsunade had fallen to her knees in despair. Slowly Tsunade's head dropped and the two women who had never told Naruto just how much he meant to them wept openly. "Baka!!!" Sakura screamed "how could you do this to me!?" Sakura was still clutching his head close to her as she pleaded it him. "You gave me your word" she cried in distress, "I loved you!" Sakura whispered the last part. Sakura would never forgive herself for never telling him that. Tsunade wept openly for her son and put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Damn it Naruto!" Tsunade lightly pounded a hand on his chest. "You were supposed to succeed me, don't leave us alone." She pleaded the last part still hitting him as she sobbed. "Ugh" Naruto groaned as a fist hit him in the chest repeatedly.

Both women's heads shot up as the looked into the two most beautiful ocean pools that resided in Naruto's eyes. Sakura was hit with a new wave of tears as she pulled him into a hug again. Tsunade had instantly stood and started healing his body while wiping her tears away. "Baka" Sakura chided gently "why did you scare me like that?" Naruto turned into her resting his head in the crook of her neck allowing himself to just be held. "I am so sorry Sakura-Chan." Naruto hugged her briefly as his arms fell limp to his sides. Sakura held the sleeping boy so relieved that he was alive.

Tsunade looked at him in awe, "that boy never gives up does he?" Sakura smiled "no" she replied "my Baka loves me to much." Sakura leaned down and kissed the top of his head softly. "I love you Naruto-Kun."

Naruto awoke days later, he felt like a truck had hit him and then backed over him for good measure. He sat up and noticed his hand was being held. He looked down to see a tangle of Pink hair and a pair of sleepy eyes as she just woke up when he stirred. "Sakura-Chan" his voice was filled with love and she could hear it in all its warmth. A second ago she was groggy know seeing her love awake and calling for her she was instantly wide-awake. "Thank you" he told her humbly, she could tell he really meant it. "I don't think I would be alive right now if your words and embrace hadn't pulled me through." Sakura looked at him "Naruto-Kun I should have told you this so long ago, I was an idiot chasing something that could never be. I never stopped to look behind me at the one who was with me every step of the way." Naruto was slightly panicked… 'Is she saying what I think she's saying?' "Naruto-Kun you were my support, without you I would have fallen long ago. I love you Naruto-Kun, and my only regret is not realizing it sooner."

Naruto couldn't think straight the girl he longed for, the girl he would walk through hell for, had just told him she loved him. Naruto smiled so wide Sakura thought his face might tear, she laughed at the notion. Naruto looked at her questioningly, his brows furrowed in confusion. He looks so darn cute she concluded "Baka" she said softly. Sakura had never noticed how much he winced she called him that. "My Baka" she said as she leaned in and shared a passionate kiss with the man of her dreams.

Naruto held her long into the night never wanting to let go. He had given his heart to her and she to him. The cracks in him disappeared as her kisses and her loving arms healed his heart. Naruto looked down at the sleeping woman, her beauty never ceased to take his breath away. She looked so content in his arms, as if she knew nothing could hurt her while he was there. Sakura in fact felt the safest when he held her, and loved to be against his broad chest.

Naruto knew looking at her sleep that he would do whatever he must to be with her and keep her safe. For her, his Cherry blossom he would willingly lay everything he had on the line, he would bare it all accepting whatever came his way for her sake. She sighed in her sleep turning to snuggle into his shoulder "mhmm Naruto-Kun" she mumbled as he squeezed her gently. For his Sakura-Chan he would take anything head on, and with her at his side he knew he would endure. "I will always protect you, my love." Naruto said with a voice filled with his bottomless devotion. Sakura smiled having just woke up "I know you will Naruto-Kun." She leaned up and kissed him. She knew she had his word, and he would die before taking them back. Slowly pulling away she looked in his eyes "thank you for coming back to me." Naruto looked at her seriously, "it will take a hell of a lot more than that to keep me from you." She smiled at his corny words, but deep down she knew they were exactly what she wanted to hear.


End file.
